What have the artists said about the song?

Nas: We did the original version in Large Professor’s apartment. And once there was a deal in place, we were able to use a real mic & a real studio [to re-record]. After me, SWV did “Right Here” with the same sample [from Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature”]. I felt like I was responsible for that record, but the reality is that “Human Nature” was such a beautiful-ass song that people wanted to replay that. When the SWV record came out, I was pissed, because if I was to have a record for the radio, that was the perfect one. And when SWV took the shine, it was like, “Oh no!” Of course, it was my 1st album. I was like, Wait, how am I gonna get Michael Jackson to clear this? And then I realized, Oh shit, we’re label mates! So we made it happen.

We had an in-store [at Tower Records at Fourth and Broadway]. And I’d never been to one. I expected to sign maybe 40 autographs at the most. [Before we left,] my record company kept telling me what a scene it was down there. I had no idea what they were talking about. It was me & the crew. We were excited, happy, celebrating. And we went to the in-store, and when I saw the crowd, it really let me know that this is gonna be something. This is not a tape that comes out & they just play it for a little while. When we left, it was kids screaming, crying & chasing the car. It was like ‘N Sync. And this is my first album. It was a mob scene. That’s when I knew. I was like, Yo, this is gonna be all right. I looked around, & I was like, This is gonna be all right.

Still Ill In spring 1994, a chip-tooth kid outta Queensbridge released a 10-song debut album that set a new standard for hip-hop lyricism. Fifteen years later, XXL takes a trip down memory lane to get an in-depth look at the making of a classic. It's Illmatic. Yeah.